Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying might be taking fire for not realising the promises in his election manifesto, but at least he fulfils his pledges to his kids. His younger daughter, Leung Chai-yan, recently uploaded to Facebook a picture of her cuddly Lufsig toy, promised to her by her father. The Ikea toy based on the big bad wolf became a popular symbol of protest last month when one was thrown at Leung, long characterised as a cunning "wolf", at a meeting. As shoppers cleared the toy off the shelves of local stores, Leung made light of the protests, posing with a Lufsig toy on his desk and writing on his blog that it was a gift for his daughter. By posting the picture, it seems 23-year-old Chai-yan is getting over the painful memory of the toy - and accompanying verbal abuse - thrown at her father.
The Lunar New Year holiday sees reporters' mailboxes and smartphones flooded with seasonal greetings from companies, lawmakers and even officials. Many of the recipients simply ignore the messages and e-cards, which prompted Ben Chan Han-pan, of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, to find a novel approach to saying "happy Year of the Horse". He sent out a one-minute video clip containing pictures of him doing community activities, all to the dulcet tones of his - shall we say, interesting - singing voice. Set to the theme of a popular Japanese cartoon series, the lyrics - apparently penned by Chan and his team - focus on how Chan seeks to be a "diligent, responsible, courageous and capable pony" serving his constituents in New Territories West. "There's a clear path ahead and he wouldn't stop, and a bright future ahead is expected for him," the lawmaker croons, before wishing the recipient the best for the year ahead.
